New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-25
NOVELS or TIE DA Y.
REALISM AND ROMANCE.


MAJOR LAWRENCE T. I. S By Hon. EMILY LAwLEss
lone PIP 3,2. (Henry Holt & co.. 49,.
SONORA vIIIEHA; AND GRAY. An OLDMAvEN 70
NANCE. rs the Author OF Teal feor'" i-'n'' III"
AL. white. stokes Alen)
THE FIDDLER or LUGAr. By the Author Of . a
Child Of the Revolution ele. iI'V w,..eTcr '"
RAsTON. 12nc. IN. Sol iIhsnas hhl''ANcIJ
"Maior Lawrence is a charming novel. The
hero is type of the men whose characters appch
most strongly TO the general sympathy, proving
the instructive tendency Of civilized man TO rover
cncc the highest standard of living, c'cn though
few may attain 10 it, Major Lawrence Is very
manly man. modest, unsclGsh. apt at self-rrnuncin-
ton who carries with him for years hopeless
love for a woman whom ne is forced TO see an
worthily married from whom he never expects
any return Of his affection; aud over whom ne
watches with the tcndcrcst chIvalrv ard the most
complete devotion. This study 81 character j.
subtle, delicate and true to the highest ideal No
doubt there is n generic likeness between Ii'ck-
crav's Dobbin and Mss IawlcsS's Major Law
renee but there is certainly no imitation. me
major is IN original creation. and altogether real
andhOmogencous. The story contains other almost
equally good character drawing. Lady Eleanor
Mordaunt. who grows up under the readers cYe
is particularly difficult yet Strlklnsly successful
piece Of evolution. The change III her character
or in its external manifestations which maturity
brings may at first seem uHaccouuiahic. bat as
Che story develops the truth Of the analysis IS de-
uons,,7stod A'scmon Gathers the selfish IN
valid. is not less vigorously aud carefully drawn
and his weak. soft devoted mother Is paih'u ais
faithful to human n.turc. The story is admirably
told, and Is well worth the telling
Those who have read Mr. Wicoxs Real Poo
pie will be pleased t. hear from him arain. and
Whatever expectations their knowledge Il his first
book may have raised VIII, il is safe 10 sag. J."
more than borne ont by "S,noa Nillona' and
Cray" In tie first Of these stories The clarc-
tors Of Real People" are reproduced and the
delightful Spansh-Amcricin studies are carr ID
Oh in the old way. and with the old grace ~
humor and refined suggestion Of carica'ur".
Concha and Gloria and Teresa. the Sonora. Nilicnn.
Rodriguez Medina ana The " Mnui'a," rcarpar ~
naturally as possible. Perhaps the gard comedy
is somewhat unthinkahle, hut II is none tie les,
amusing and the soirec IS quite revolution %
lispano-Amercan possibilities. Nohod, has ever
undertaken, before Mr WILCOX. with any approach
TO success, the difficult broken English talked hy
Spanish women, and nothing can be quaintcr or
lunnicr than The English of Sonora Viilcna. Good
As this first story is. however, it must yield the
palm TO GRAY an Oldhavcn Romance" which IL
a really remarkable work. 1t i, a romance after
the manner Of Hawthorne that fascinating man
nCr in which realism. supcraatuElisn. legend, al
lcgory and fable are incAtrcably blended ~ 10
defy analysis The realism Of Nr Wilcox IS,
perhaps. generally speaking. more ohnit" and
clear cut than that Of Hawthorne: or possibly 1t
appears so because through the plan Of the story
the ina ginaiVc and the more prOsaIc versions arc
separated completely Bat the story is flH %
power and vivid ina gination, and whether The
author is describing realities or imposs!b'.iics
the fcrvOr and Gucncy OF his STYLE are cqnai.y
marked The story hinges on an anccs,ra raj legend
Of "a discovery Of gold IN The Carolina mountains
and the determination Of Tie youuS scion Of IN
old house 10 20 III search Of the traditional treas,
IRE. The career Of the young man Israel i capa-
bic Of being, and IS interpreted IN rational
everyday manner, in mystical supernatural
way. The reader may take choice Of these eX-
plantations, but viii as,urcdy find the second tic
more absorbing and exciting There j., however,
surprising skin in The treatment Of most ain
cult situation. From beginning 60 end the ad-
ventures of Israel and the personality Of Gray
are 30 ccverly handled that the improbable and
the commonplace melt into one another and even
the most uncompromising supcnaturalism takes
on n sober and almost mattcrof-fact appearance.
This Gray, who suddenly appears as the secretary
and fact0tum Of a mysterious millionaire. and
who has 50 many point, Of resemblance with the
rnOunla.nccr whom Israel murdered, bat who rcsur-
rcctcd himself 50 grucSomcly; who is at once the
ancestor himself, the genius Of the hidden treas
IRE, and the foul fcnd: is decidedly the most
Ilawth0rnclilc weird, horribly fascinating and
wholly unconventional character produced in fc-
tion for Il long time. Israel is both type and in
dividual. To such as care only for the story hc
is interesting in and for himself But he is much
more than the utterly selfish man, and Gray IS
much more than the demon OF n fairy tale. IL Is
a parable. The man who undertakes 10 attain
worldly success by sheer force Of intellect and
who closes his heart forever TO the touch If love,
must be, were complete a monster possible,
the very ideal Of diabOsm. when such one
does one generous deed his time has come; but
he will not do IL because he cannot. II must not
be thought that Mr.. Wilcox thrusts didac'icsm
upon his readers. Nothing could he further from
the truth. His novel is what he styles it,
nance, and cxcellcntly conceived and arts
tically executed romance moreover IL is IN thor
Ough keeping with The mingled realism and ideal
i'm u The story that the mystery Of Isracls iden-
tity with the employer Of Gray should be left
unsolved. 1t would have been defective art TO
all the str niger for the veil of uncertainty which
Is thus thrown over the close.
" The Fiddler Of Lugau" is well written
pleasant and reposeful story, Of life in an old
Saxon town during the NapolcOnic era and of
The trals and struggles Of young musical genius
appointed by the will Of his only living relative
TO an occupation for which no entertains an un-